Applicator



*A.1.TRUHAN APPLICATOR F ned ma 20, 1968' Feb. 17, 1970 INVEN TOR ANDREW TRUHAN AT TORN EYS United States Patent 3,495,917 APPLICATOR Andrew Truhan, R.D. 3, Box 392T, Somerset, NJ. 08873 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 702,664, Feb. 2, 1968. This application May 20, 1968, Ser. No. 730,339

Int. 'Cl. B43k /06; A471 13/17; A4511 34/00 US. Cl. 401-132 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An applicator consisting of an elongated tube has its bore partially filled with a solution. The solution is maintained in the bore by a plunger slidably mounted in the bore at one end of the tube and a releasable plug at the other ends of the bore. Novel sealing means acting between the solution and the extended internal end of the plunger are provided to reduce to a minimum leakage during operation of the plunger to force the fluid from the bore.

This invention relates to applicators and/or swabs which contain a reservoir for storage of certain liquid compositions having many and varied applications and is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 702,664, filed Feb. 2, 1968.

The device is particularly useful in that the stored liquid and the applicator per se may be maintained in a sterile condition up to the time of use.

As set forth in my application Ser. No. 702,664, the liquid contained within the applicator may comprise an antiseptic, an antibiotic, an antifungistat or mixtures thereof; cosmetics such as liquid rouge, liquid lipstick, liquid powder or mascara; deodorant or personal hygiene substances and the like.

The invention will be more particularly described in reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical, partial sectional view through one form of the applicator of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary partial sectional view of the lower portion of the device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary partial sectional view of a modified form of the applicator of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral denotes generally the applicator according to this invention and is defined by an elongated cylindrical element 12 conveniently formed of plastic and having relatively thin walls. A ring 14 may be integrally attached to the external wall portion of the cylinder in order to provide an abutment for the fingers. The numeral 16 denotes an elongated plunger, which may be also formed of plastic and which is provided at its upper end with a disc 18 adapted to be engaged by the palm or the thumb of the user and whose lower end 20 is particularly shaped as to be more fully described hereinafter.

The numeral 22 denotes a liquid solution which may be any one of a great variety of compositions. In general, the solution 22 may be characterized as a medium which contains the various minerals, vitamins, proteins, etc., required to support growth of living organisms such as bacteria.

The numeral 24 denotes a plug which closes the lower end of the cylinder 12, whereby the solution 22 is effectively encapsulated between the upper portion of plug 24 and the lower portion of a floating sealing type piston or plug generally designated 25. The numeral 26 denotes a wad or batt or other fibrous material, either woven or non-woven and which may be wrapped or otherwise placed on the extended end 28 of cylinder 12 and which 3,495,917 Patented Feb. 17, 1970 is absorbent. In addition to cotton, the absorbent pad, wad or batt may comprise silicone or polysiloxane resins, spun fiber or other similar generally inert material.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 the lower end 20 of the plunger 16 is cup shaped and the lower angular end 30 of the cup shaped end is beveled or tapered outwardly to provide a relatively thin walled portion in direct contacting relationship with the interior wall 32 of the applicator cylinder 12. The floating sealing piston or plug generally designated 25 in FIG- URES 1 and 2 of the drawings comprises a sphere having a diameter such that it is relatively smugly receivable in the bore of the cylinder 12. The sphere'25 may be hollow or solid and is preferably formed from a plastic or synthetic or natural rubber material having medium resilience.

Now in operation of the applicator illustrated in FIG- URES 1 and 2, when it is desired to wet the absorbent pad with the composition or solution 22 the plunger 16 is urged downwardly into contact with the floating seal 25. As the tapered cup-shaped end of the plunger contacts the spherical surface of float 25 a wedging action, as more clearly illustrated in FIGURE 2, forces the lower annular wall of the plunger outwardly into intimate sealing contact with the interior wall 32 of the cylinder 12. Further movement compresses the fluid 22 between the lower spherical surface of the member 25 and the upper surface of the plug 24 forcing the plug downwardly until it is free in the slightly enlarged lower end 28 of the device thereby permitting the fluid composition 22 to pass through the plurality of bores 36 in the perforate zone 28 and thus into contact with absorbent wad 26.

The foregoing construction of the floating sealing member in conjunction with the tapered cup shaped lower end of the plunger, substantially prevents backflow of the fluid 22 between the outer surface of the plunger 16 and the inner surface of the cylinder 12 even though the plug 24 may be fairly closely fitted and snugly received in sealing engagement with the inner surface of the bore of the cylinder 12.

Referring particular to FIGURE 3 of the drawing a further form of the invention is illustrated. In the modified form of the invention like elements are provided with primed reference characters employed in the description of the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. In FIGURE 3 the cylinder 12 is fitted with a slidable plunger 16'. The lower end of the cylinder 12 is releasably closed by a plunger or plug not shown corresponding to plug 24 illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. Within the barrel portion of the cylinder 12' is maintained a suitable liquid composition 22' between the upper surface of the unillustrated plug and the lower surface 40 of a floating piston type sealing member 25'. The upper surface of the floating piston 25' is of a truncated conical shape having sloping wall 42 which sloping wall generally corresponds with the sloping wall 30' of the cup portion 20' of the plunger 16 Like in the prior form of this invention downward pressure on the top of the plunger 16' causes camming or wedging engagement between the sloping wall 30 and the sloping surface 42 of the conical upper portion of the floating piston 25' which wedging or camming action insures a tight liquid sealing engagement between the lower outer surface of the plug 16' and the bore 32' of the cylinder 12'. This insures that continued downward motion will force the lower plug from the cylindrical bore without forcing liquid upwardly about the space between the external cylindrical wall of the plunger 16 and the bore in the cylinder 12'.

As in my said application Ser. No. 702,664 the form of the lower end of the cylinder 12 may be variously modified and instead of the perforated lower section a cavity or well may be formed between the batting or Wad 26 and the lower peripheral edge of the cylinder into which the removable plug 24 may be urged when it is desired to wet the wadding with the solution maintained in the barrel portion of the cylinder. Further, plural liquids may be stored in the cylindrical barrel portion of the cylinder 12 and 12 with each separate component being separated by a removeable barrier wall or plug similar in nature to plug 24. Again in operation of such plural liquid component type of device both of the plugs would be forced below the liquid outlet from the cylinder upon downward motion of the plunger 16 or 16'.

From the foregoing description of my invention it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the objects and advantages hereinbefore set forth are fully realized.

I claim:

1. An applicator comprising an elongated tube, a solution partially filling the bore of the tube, a releasable plug secured adjacent to the lower end of the tube, a piston slidably mounted in the upper end of the tube, an annular skirt about the inner end of the piston, a floating follower received in the tube between the skirted end of the piston and a solution maintained in the bore of the tube, the upper end of the follower being shaped to cause an outward force on the skirted end of the piston when the piston is forced downwardly into contact with said follower.

v lower comprises a sphere having a diameter to snugly fit within the bore of the tube.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said follower comprises a plug having an upper end shaped in the form of a right truncated cone.

4. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein the annular skirt has a lower tapered edge corresponding to the spherical surface of the follower.

5. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein the lower edge of. the annular skirt of the said end of the piston is tapered to correspond with the sloping Wall of the truncated conical portion of the follower.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1934 Scoles 401-176 6/1967 Heimlich 128269 

